Nipple Hypertrophy
Dear Doctor/Surgeon
I am in Missouri. I am a 30 year old Asian female. I am single and do not have children. I just came across your website today while researching and learning about nipple hypertrophy and found the following article: https://asaps.confex.com/asaps/2012/webprogram/Paper5167.html.
Recently, I have realized that my nipples are unusual big, about 1 and 1/2 inches; normal areola. I am so worried that something is wrong and very embarrassed. Occasionally, I feel sharp pain on my nipple but never pay attention to it, maybe because I wear a tight bra. Today, I feel little sore on both nipples and realized it's little bigger so I did some research in online.
I would like to reach out to you in regarding to this. Please help me! The more I research I do the more I get scared. I am interested in getting nipple reduction surgery, but have a fear about the complications that I might experience after the surgery, such as lack of sensation and difficult in breastfeeding.
There are many cosmetic surgeons out there, but many of them are good at breast augmentations or many other procedures; however, not many doctors that I have searched are experts on Nipple Reduction Surgery. Besides that, I'm embarrassed to see the doctors for consultation thinking that they might not like to take care of me because it's such a small surgery. I have found it's so hard to find a compassionate surgeon who understand me as a patient. I am just so scared in general. Please help and advise me what to do. Your time and insights are greatly appreciated.
Nipple reduction is fairly straightforward and can be performed under local anesthesia in the office. Although there is a theoretical risk to sensation, I have never experienced this in any of my patients. The nerves that are cut should be supplying the tissue that is removed, so sensation is typically preserved. I prefer a modified wedge technique and have had excellent results. Keep searching and look for a surgeon with experience in this area that is board certified and ideally a member of ASAPS. Good luck!
You mentioned that you were single, and had no children. If you are planning to have children, and want to breast feed, then you may not want to do a nipple reduction surgery as there is a possibility that after surgery you may have alteration of sensation, and/or scarring of the terminal portion of the ducts as they exit your nipples which may make it more difficult to breast feed for one or both or those reasons. However , if you are willing to accept these potential risks, then there are a number of nipple reduction surgeries that you might be offered. These include the one you referenced, several different techniques of wedge excisions and closure with sutures; cutting off the end of the nipple (amputation). You should consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who will examine you and discuss options and their risks.
There are options out there for addressing hypertrophied nipples. Seek consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon and they will be able to address your needs. Good luck.
Gary A. Tuma, MD FACS